Sales Management Code

Tap Into the Exponential Power of Your Front-line Sales Managers

When sales teams aren’t delivering the expected results, sales leaders usually turn their attention to sellers. Do they need more training? New technology? A better methodology? The questions feel logical; after all, if there’s a problem with sales performance, it seems to make sense that the source of that problem lies with the people who sell, or with the tools and processes that support them. Unfortunately, the long-term impact of any initiative aimed at salespeople is either supported or tanked by the behavior of your front-line sales managers.

A growing body of research supports the dramatic impact of the front-line sales manager on sales team performance.

As it turns out, this long-neglected layer of the sales organization has a more powerful impact on sales results than any other role and is the key to driving improved performance in your sales teams. Simply put: great managers produce great results; underperforming managers produce poor results.

Unfortunately, most managers are having a negative impact on team performance. VantagePoint’s comprehensive study of sales management practices made some startling discoveries:

75% of sales managers have less than half their reps making quota

There was a 39% difference in revenue performance between the top and bottom quartiles of sales managers we studied

Top managers in our study brought in an average $3.5 million more in revenue than their lower-performing peers

Think about that: a whopping three-quarters of managers have more than half their reps failing to meet sales targets. In our view, that means three-quarters of sales managers are failing in their jobs. And those who are succeeding? They’re having a domino effect on performance that equates to millions of dollars in revenue.

There is huge leverage in the sales manager role. How can you tap into it?

The Sales Management Code

To lead a team effectively, sales managers must know how to manage. This sounds like common sense, but it isn’t. In most companies, sales managers are:

Former top reps who were promoted into the manager position in order to have an upward career path

Given little or no manager-specific training

Expected to know how to manage based on their knowledge of how to sell

This approach to the sales management role is essentially a roll of the dice – and one that usually loses. That’s because the skill set required to be an outstanding manager is vastly different from the one required to be a great seller. Without the right training, star sellers tend to become overwhelmed in the management role and while some eventually figure it out, most do not.

To stop rolling the dice and start winning, you need to know the code.

Winning sales managers adhere to an operating system and cadence – a “code” – for managing that enables them to lead their teams to excellence quarter after quarter, year after year. VantagePoint’s Sales Management Code training teaches your managers that code.

During our two-day workshop, managers . . .

Develop a system of operating, or code, for managing their teams to accomplish organizational results and prioritized sales objectives (KPIs)

Create clarity for themselves and their teams on what sales activities will have impact and how their coaching efforts will enhance and support seller execution

Develop a personalized playbook including plans for communicating and supporting team execution

Understand and learn to apply best practices that get results in formal and ad hoc coaching conversations

Use data effectively to diagnose performance problems and make real-time adjustments to keep their sellers on the path to quota attainment

Our packed agenda emphasizes all the fundamentals necessary to manage and lead a team of sellers to consistent execution and increased levels of performance.

Sales Management Code Case Study: Financial Services

A nationally recognized financial services company had a disciplined rhythm around the number of interactions the company’s sales managers had with its frontline sales consultants. However, leadership wanted to improve the content and focus of each meeting.

Sales Management Insights

How To Get More Sellers To Quota? Coach To Activities!

Webinar: Building the Groundwork for Sales Coaching Greatness

Webinar: Activity Coaching – The Itty Bitty Nitty Gritty

Talk to Us!

Leveraging VantagePoint’s comprehensive research, as well as our extensive experience in the field and working with companies around the world, we arm your managers with everything they need to unlock their management potential and grow their sales results.

Your company is unique. Your customers are unique. To maximize business impact, for both your company and your customers, how you engage must reflect those differences. At VantagePoint, we are agile to the core, focused on one goal: to maximize you and your customer’s performance with university-led, research-driven solutions that win. From agile diagnostics to agile insights, agile coaching and agile training, VantagePoint helps you build a world-class, agile sales team!